It is a great time to be a college football fan in the Evergreen State. The No. 6 Washington Huskies continue to beat teams while Washington State may never recover after barely defeating USC.
Here are this week's rankings:
1. Washington Huskies (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12) Last week: 2
The Huskies were only up 7-0 at half on the road against Oregon State, but cruised to a 42-7 win in the second half. It was a typical Washington blowout – quarterback Jake Browning played well, wide receiver Dante Pettis caught a few touchdowns and running back Myles Gaskin rushed for over 100 yards.
2. Washington State Cougars (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12) Last week: 3
WSU played well in its biggest game in years. The No. 11 Cougars made things rough on USC all game in a hard-fought 30-27 win.
But the real excitement came after the game when Cougars fans stormed the field.
First, an unidentified USC player leveled a WSU fan on the field. Somebody might have been a bit grumpy after the loss.
Later on, Dan Weber, a USC football beat writer for USCFootball.com, showed that he did not have much respect for the general intelligence of WSU fans.
Once the hoopla was over, WSU students proceeded to burn couches, prompting a response from local authorities.
3. USC Trojans (4-1, 2-1 Pac-12) Last week: 1
The Trojans have played with fire all season and now they have been burnt. No. 14 USC survived scares from Western Michigan, Texas and Cal, but could not overcome WSU. Quarterback Sam Darnold did not play to his usual level.
4. Utah Utes (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) Last week: 4
The No. 20 Utes were off this week, so they stay idle in the rankings. Starting quarterback Tyler Huntley's injury status is up in the air for the Stanford game this weekend, so Troy Williams might have to start.
5. Stanford Cardinal (3-2, 2-1 Pac-12) Last week: 5
Stanford must have loved how running back Bryce Love gashed ASU for 301 rushing yards in a 34-24 win. On Saturday, he averaged 12 yards per carry, which averageed out to a first down and change on every rush.
6. Oregon Ducks (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12) Last week: 8
The Ducks responded well after their first loss of the season by smacking Cal 45-24 on Saturday. It was not all great for Oregon, as quarterback Justin Herbert will miss significant time with a collarbone injury.
7. UCLA Bruins (3-2, 1-1 Pac-12) Last week: 10
The Bruins squeaked by Colorado 27-23. This was a good win for UCLA, as it rebounded from an ugly loss to Stanford.
8. Colorado Buffaloes (3-2, 0-2 Pac-12) Last week: 9
These have been tough times for the Buffaloes now that Pac-12 play has begun. Against UCLA, Colorado moved the ball well, but had trouble scoring touchdowns in the red zone, leading to three short field goals instead of touchdowns.
9. Arizona State Sun Devils (2-3, 1-1 Pac-12) Last week: 7
Despite handing a record-breaking game to Bryce Love, ASU managed to hang around in this game. The offense generally moved the ball well, but Stanford's rushing game put the Sun Devils in too big of a hole to overcome.
10. Cal Golden Bears (3-2, 0-2 Pac-12) Last week: 6
The Bears had so much going for them, as they burst out of the gates to a 3-0 start. They hung tough in their 30-20 loss to USC, but that all ended when they were trounced by Oregon. The defense was not good, but quarterback Ross Bowers played well, throwing for 255 yards and three touchdowns.
11. Arizona Wildcats (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12) Last week: 11
Arizona had a bye last weekend and will be back in action against Colorado on Saturday.
12. Oregon State Beavers (1-4, 0-2 Pac-12) Last week: 12
It is disheartening to rank the Beavers every week. Not surprisingly, Oregon State got smoked at home by Washington. On the bright side, the Beavers were only down 7-0 at half, but only mustered 74 passing yards in a 42-7 loss.
Reach the reporter at mpharri7@asu.edu or follow @Harris_Mark7 on Twitter.
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